Dutch to Invade NYC

NY400 Ambassador Eric Niehe, NYC & Company CEO and New York City NY400 Chair George Fertitta and Deputy Mayor of the City of Amsterdam Carolien Gehrels today announced details of a global celebration, “NY400 Week.” They invited residents of the Netherlands and the United States to visit each other during the celebrations commemorating the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s arrival to New York City.

NY400 Week will take place September 8-13 and will include a visit by HRH the Prince of Orange and HRH Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, a variety of events, exhibits, outdoor activities and performances across the five boroughs including, direct from Holland, the New Island Festival. The week’s events culminate in the first-ever Harbor Day on September 13, which commemorates New York City’s Dutch roots and vibrant waterfront. To encourage increased travel between the Netherlands and New York City this year, a special airfare promotion in partnership with Continental Airlines offering 400 Euros round-trip fare from Amsterdam to New York City from September 1 through December 17 was announced.

“As we celebrate this momentous anniversary and the strong historical ties between New York City and the Dutch, we are extremely proud to highlight the significant influence of the Dutch in both the deep-rooted history and vibrant future of New York City,” said NY400 Ambassador Eric Niehe.

“The NY400 Week celebrations give people one more reason to visit New York City in September and throughout the rest of this year,” said George Fertitta. “New York City is as vibrant as ever, and with a renewed focus on our waterfront throughout the five boroughs, these festivities which will culminate in the first-ever Harbor Day and provide an even greater incentive for Dutch visitors to travel to New York City. We believe the new fare from Continental Airlines will give Dutch visitors even more reason to visit New York City this year.”

“There are many similarities that The Netherlands – and Amsterdam in particular – share with our New York City friends, including a high regard for freedom, open-mindedness, optimism and tolerance, as well as a great appreciation for creativity, innovation, design and diversity and we are pleased to observe these mutual traits,” said Deputy Mayor Carolien Gehrels.

On September 8, the NY400 Week begins with a welcome ceremony aboard the Intrepid Sea Air & Space Museum attended by HRH the Prince of Orange and HRH Princess Máxima of the Netherlands.

On September 9, the New Amsterdam Plein & Pavilion, a tribute to the NY400 celebration designed by Dutch architect Ben van Berkel of UNStudio, Amsterdam, will be unveiled downtown at The Battery in Lower Manhattan and presented as a gift by The Netherlands Government to New York City in November 2009.

On September 13, New York City’s first-ever Harbor Day will feature events and activities across the five boroughs including a flotilla sail along the Hudson River, as well free bike rental and ferry rides to encourage New Yorkers and visitors to enjoy the City’s waterfront districts in Manhattan and Brooklyn and on Governors Island. Harbor Day will become an annual event to recognize and appreciate the progress New York City has made in reclaiming its waterfront and opening harbor parks and greenways, as well as in creating sustainable developments that improve habitats and preserve resources for future generations.

Additional activities that week include the opening of the Johannes Vermeer’sThe Milkmaid exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which will run from September 9–November 29 featuring one of the 17th-century Dutch artist’s most-admired paintings on loan from Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum. Also kicking off for the first time during NY400 Week, the New Island Festival will travel from Holland to New York City's Governors Island. The festival will take place from September 10–13 and from September 17–20, featuring concerts, renowned DJ sets, avant-garde theatre, performance art and visual arts, performed by more than 100 Dutch artists. Pioneers of Change, a festival of Dutch design, fashion and architecture, takes place on Governors Island from September 11-20.

Supporting the landmark anniversary year, Continental Airlines today announced that it will offer a special fare of 400 Euros, plus taxes and fees of up to 70 Euros, for return economy flights from Amsterdam to New York, and a fare of 1609 Euros, plus taxes, fees and surcharges of up to 250 Euros, for round-trip BusinessFirst travel. The fares, which will be available and valid for U.S.-bound travel from September 1 through October 31, 2009 with return travel through December 17, 2009, are subject to availability and tax/surcharge and exchange-rate fluctuations. Restrictions and conditions apply. Fares from New York to Amsterdam will be $400 (U.S.dollars) for roundtrip economy, and $1,853 (U.S. dollars) for roundtrip BusinessFirst travel, for the same period, not including taxes, fees and surcharges. (Fares quoted do not include Passenger Facility Charges of up to $9.00, September 11th Security Fee of $5.00 and International taxes and fees of up to $85.)

"As New York City's leading airline, Continental is pleased to offer these special promotional fares for travel this fall from Amsterdam to New York City," said Holden Shannon, Senior Vice President for Global Real Estate for Continental Airlines. "This 400th anniversary year is an excellent time to re-discover New York."

Last year New York City welcomed a record 241,000 visitors from the Netherlands, surpassing the record 181,000 visitors in 2007. New York City is the number one destination for Dutch travelers to the U.S. The Dutch market represented more than $455 million in spending power in 2008, up from $328 million in 2007.

NY400 is the result of an initiative by the Dutch Government in close co-operation with Dutch local and provincial authorities, with New York City and New York State, and with active participation of a great number of organizations from the private, cultural and not-for-profit sectors.